


And a Dance is the Greatest Weapon of All

by tatertotarmy



Category: Rune Factory (Video Games), Rune Factory 4
Genre: F/M, Rune Factory 12th Anniversary, This is after arc 2 but before arc 3, some sechsy things are going on here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-07-02 15:56:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15799800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tatertotarmy/pseuds/tatertotarmy
Summary: After Ethelberd's demise, the Sechs Empire has all but broken up into fractions of its former self as its citizens struggle to find a sense of identity.And one person has a curious idea in how Selphia, and more particularly, Princess Frey, could help unify a broken nation.





	And a Dance is the Greatest Weapon of All

It was near midnight when Frey was woken up by Vishnal. And while Frey would have usually been angry at such a thing, especially after a long day working the fields, there was a clear mood in the air that made all those complaints go away. It was the silence that permeated the air, eerily absent of any crickets or creaks of the castle. It was the panicked look in Vishnal’s eyes, his hair half-disheveled and outfit sloppily thrown on in some attempt to look the least bit presentable. It was the dim light from the late Ventuswill’s chambers that leaked into her room, a room always kept dark nowadays, even during the daytime. 

Frey didn’t even get dressed, silently standing from her bed and rushing to Ventuswill’s chamber, an abnormally quiet Vishnal following behind. Their footsteps practically echoed across the quiet castle halls, making Frey feel smaller and smaller, like she was walking into the mouth of something huge.

Standing in Ventuswill’s chamber were two figures, illuminated by soft candlelight around the room. It was Volkanon, dressed presentably well despite the late hour, and Clorica, still in her nightclothes, a pillow still wrapped up in her arms. 

Frey opened her mouth, taking in a breath. Immediately, Volkanon gave her a pointed look, raising a finger to his lips. The look itself made her give pause, nearly making both her and Vishnal freeze in their tracks. While Volkanon was always intense with every single emotion…the serious look in his eyes was rare…as well as the blatant ordering around of the one he served. 

Volkanon waited for a moment, looking towards the main doors of the castle with unease, but then looked back over at Frey, beckoning her to come over. She swallowed, nodding and walking quietly over to Volkanon and Clorica, Vishnal diligently behind her.

“I apologize for waking you at such a late hour, Lady Frey,” Volkanon spoke in a hushed voice, barely audible even for the group, “But a matter has arisen that requires your attention.”

“What happened?” Frey asked quietly, looking between the three butlers with a concerned look in her eyes. 

“We have…visitors,” Vishnal hesitantly answered, looking towards the closed door.

“Visitors? At this hour?” Frey asked, looking at the door as well. What kind of visitor came to town in the middle of the night? 

“Well…” Volkanon took in a deep breath, “They appear to be emissaries from the Sechs Empire, and they have requested to meet with the Earthmate Princess Frey.”

“The empire?” Frey exclaimed, breaking the otherwise silent room. Vishnal immediately shook his head, pressing an index finger to his lips and ‘shhh’-ing as quietly as an eccentric butler could muster. But Frey ignored it, her eyes growing wide at the very thought of the empire. 

The Sechs Empire…coming here to meet with her? After what they did to Venti? After all the pain they put everyone through? All the pain and deception they put Doug through? They dared to even step foot in her town again? She had defeated Ethelberd months ago – Venti had died months ago! 

She was trembling, anger crossing her eyes, glaring daggers at the main doors of the castle. How dare they come back here? What the hell did they want with her?

“Lady Frey…” Volkanon sighed, giving Vishnal a look to tell him to stop it before taking a step towards Frey, “They claim they come here on a diplomatic mission. After Ethelberd’s demise, the empire itself has been split up into fractions. The only successor to the throne disappeared years ago, after all. These diplomats claim to represent one of these factions.”

“If they’re here for that, then why the hell are they here in the middle of the night?” Frey snapped, looking back at Volkanon.

“They claim they did not wish to disturb the peace in the middle of the day,” he continued, sighing, “However…this is one of the many things that doesn’t add up. Especially approaching you rather than the king himself about diplomacy.”

That was right. Selphia was only a small part of a larger nation. If they really wanted diplomacy…then it would be smarter to go for the ruler than the princess leading a small town. And not to mention…Frey wasn’t even a real princess. This was probably the worst place to start going about diplomacy.

If only Arthur was here. He was the legitimate prince. He would know what to do.

“Right…” Frey nodded, “What should we do?”

“Unfortunately…I would have to suggest you meet with them.”

“What?” Frey exclaimed in surprise, “Are you serious?”

“There’s no doubt that something suspicious is going on here,” Volkanon spoke, “However…if they are planning something nefarious, approaching it head-on now would at least give us some clue as to their motives. And if we refuse them here, there’s no telling what their next move would be afterwards.”

Frey sighed, pressing a finger to her temple, “You’re right. But still…”

“If they make one move against you, I assure that I will remove them from your presence, post-haste,” Volkanon furrowed his eyebrows, standing tall and vigilant like a true butler, “Do not underestimate the power of your butlers, Lady Frey.”

Frey couldn’t help but feel relieved when she heard that. Volkanon was certainly a force to be reckoned with. Even after everything Frey had fought many months ago, she felt like her powers paled in comparison to Selphia’s head butler. 

“Alright…” Frey took in a deep breath, “Where are they?”

“Right outside, in the town square,” Volkanon nodded towards the door, “I believed that it would be disrespectful to Lady Ventuswill to allow them to step foot inside the castle.”

“You’re right,” Frey nodded. They didn’t deserve to be in Selphia to begin with. But here they were, anyway.

Volkanon took a step towards the door, but then paused, looking at Clorica, “Clorica, please leave through the back entrance and fetch Forte. Bring her here and do not enter the courtyard unless I give a signal, understand?”

Clorica nodded, a certain rare determination in her eyes as she walked towards the farm at the back of the castle, her pillow still clutched in her arms.

“Vishnal, please do not leave Lady Frey’s side until they have left town,” Volkanon ordered as he stepped towards the main door, clutching the handle. Vishnal nodded, stepping the slightest bit closer to Frey. The two of them followed behind Volkanon, and Frey held in a breath, biting her tongue to keep her from saying anything nasty. 

Several moments passed, a silence clinging to the air. And then, Volkanon gently pushed the door open, allowing the moonlight to pass into Ventuswill’s chamber. Frey patted down her nightgown in some attempt to look as presentable as possible in pajamas – though honestly, being presentable was her lowest priority here. It was more like intimidation. Acting so majestic and powerful that it would act as her shield against them. A shield against whatever they tried to pull on her now. A shield that also served as an offense, trying to radiate the presence of the one who defeated their emperor months before – and that she could do the same thing to anyone else that crossed her path.

Outside of the castle, standing in the center of the town square in a small cluster, were four figures. Three of them wore the garb of a Sech’s soldier, their faces concealed with a metal helmet and any other defining features captured in metal. None of them were armed, as far as Frey could see. There wasn’t even armor on their gloves to potentially duke it out in unarmed combat. It was more like they came on the defensive. To fend off any attacks rather than fight back.

As Vishnal, Volkanon, and Frey walked outside, the three armored figures suddenly scrambled in a triangle formation around the fourth, like they were the shields of the center. 

“Ah…I presume you are Princess Frey of Selphia?”

The voice was quiet, airy. Like it belonged to the breath of the wind rather than the breath of a man. Frey looked towards the center figure to meet eyes of amber lined with long eyelashes. And dressed in formal military wear made of dusty blues and antique golds was a tall man. His skin looked tanned and rough, several scars lining his face with one prominent one cutting along his right jaw line. His hair was a deep purple, long and neatly tied up in a ponytail. And while he looked not much older than Frey, the jacket of his uniform was decorated in countless ribbons and medals. A well-decorated soldier of the Sechs military.

Frey looked at the medals and felt a twinge of anger course through her. Just what had he done to earn those medals? How many villages had he burned down to earn every single ribbon? How many lives had he destroyed to lead this squad of soldiers? 

“I might be,” Frey scoffed, the anger seeping into her tone of voice. Beside her, Vishnal stiffened up nervously. 

And to her surprise, the leader of the group merely chuckled, “I can see that we have already caused you displeasure. I feared that if we were to approach you in broad daylight, the residents of your fair town would be…alarmed. Though, unfortunately, it appears I gravely misjudged just how late would be an appropriate time to arrive.”

“Midnight is never a good time for a meeting,” Frey couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

“For that, I would like to apologize,” the leader bowed his head for a moment, “In my homeland, it is typical to be summoned at any hour of the day. Any citizen of the Sechs Empire, especially those in service to the crown, is expected to be available at any point in which they are needed. For someone such as myself, meetings are midnight were quite commonplace. However…I should have expected that other lands would not share the same culture. Though my nation has been very closed off from the rest of the world until now on a cultural level…I should have done more research on how other lands operate.” He gently raised his head back up, meeting Frey’s eyes yet again. And for a moment…Frey saw a slightest hint of genuine regret in his eyes.

Frey shook off that observation. This had to be some sort of lie. All the soldiers she had encountered through the past few years had been nothing but malignant. This man had to be the same.

“So…what are you here for, um…”

“You may call me General Foro,” he smiled, “I come here as a representative of the Sechs Empire. You see, I am on a mission to bring my homeland together again, after Ethelberd’s unfortunate demise – “

“His deserved demise,” Frey snapped, glaring at him.

Foro paused, merely chuckling a moment.

“After Ethelberd’s deserved demise,” he continued, giving Frey a knowing look, “My homeland has been fractured. After all, certain truths have come to light in our own nation, splitting our nation in bits and pieces. I am merely one of several attempting to put the pieces back together. Things are only made more difficult due to the disappearance of the sole heir to the throne, Princess Selphius.”

“So why come back here?” Frey asked, “You know what your country did. Why come back at all?”

“My country was largely propagated to believe the worst of the outside nations by the throne,” Foro continued, “My homeland is a dying land, and we only followed our ruler because we had no idea that the land outside was as vast and beautiful as it was. With the new knowledge coming out…many of my people are confused. I believe that by making a public bond with a recent enemy, it will give them a sense of guidance and direction on how to proceed after the collapse of our ruler. And I believe it will also form as a sort of…penance.”

“General Foro,” Volkanon spoke up, taking a step forward, “Forgive me for stepping in, but you specifically said a public bond. Is there not another motive behind this?”

Frey looked at Volkanon in surprise, but then the wheels began to turn in her head. 

Foro chuckled again, “Well…I do have to admit that there would be another motive.”

“If we publicly do something with you, then you’ll be seen as a leader,” Frey looked at Foro, “Isn’t that right?”

Foro merely smiled, “I am not at liberty to say that for certain, Princess Frey.”

Frey frowned. So that’s what it really was. 

What a prick.

“So what would a public statement even mean?” Frey asked, sighing, “Just…meeting with you in public somewhere?”

“Unfortunately, I doubt something so small would hold much weight in my homeland,” Foro gestured towards the soldiers around him, “My people are men of action, those who are more to believe a more concrete gesture than a simple meeting with simple words, especially words from a nation we formerly believed to be our grave enemies. I would like to propose a larger idea, if you would indulge me.”

“What kind of idea?”

“A festival,” Foro smiled, “A festival meant to unite our lands and show that we are allies. Of course, I would be open to sharing my resources with your town to help offset any cost.”

Frey took a step back. A festival? Here? To unify the two nations? The first answer that came to her lips was an immediate no. She wouldn’t have any festival with the empire. Especially not in Venti’s town. None of them even deserved to be near where she once was, let alone step into town. But she bit down her tongue, and she looked at Volkanon for guidance. The butler nodded towards her, and took a step to the side, almost like he was acting as her shield.

He knew more than she did how to handle this kind of thing. He was trained to work with royalty, after all. She would trust him.

“Just what kind of festival would you suggest, General Foro?” Volkanon asked.

“If I may be so bold, I would like to suggest a dance.”

“A dance?” 

“Yes,” Foro smiled again, “Would it not be a symbolic act? For my people and your people to intermingle and dance together openly, despite all that transpired. To show that beneath our coat of arms and birthplace, we are the same. Plus…would it not be fitting for a princess to hold a dance for such an occasion?”

There was a long pause between the group. Frey was practically slack-jawed. A dance…? For a militaristic nation like the empire to suggest a dance…that just took her completely off guard. Did she even know how to dance? Did anyone in this town know how to dance? Well…Volkanon probably knew how but that still left the rest of the entire town up for debate. 

Would any of them even want to dance with the empire?

“That is certainly an interesting prospect,” Volkanon took in a deep breath, “Unfortunately, I believe we are unable to give a certain answer at this time. I believe Princess Frey is tired from being woken at such a late hour.”

“Of course, of course,” General Foro nodded, meeting Frey’s eyes again, “I would not want such a festival to be made on hasty decisions. I am merely thankful that you would hear me out at such a late hour, Princess Frey.”

Frey merely nodded, unable to trust herself to say anything.

“I shall leave you an address of where you can reach me,” Foro continued, pulling a slip of paper from his dress pants and handing it to one of the soldiers at his side, “I do look forward to hearing from you about your thoughts.” The soldier walked forward with the slip of paper, and Volkanon walked up to meet the soldier halfway to take the paper. 

“Of course…” Volkanon spoke, “Unfortunately, Princess Frey must retire for the evening. Our knight, Forte, will escort you to the border of our land along with one of our castle’s butlers.” 

Right on cue, Frey heard the clink of armor emerge from the castle, and she turned her head to see Forte, a serious look on her face – dressed in her full armor. Beside her was Clorica, now dressed completely in a butler uniform, looking strangely awake for once.

“I thank you for the generosity,” Foro spoke, bowing his head to Volkanon, “I look forward to our future correspondence.”

Volkanon turned to walk back to Frey as the duo of Clorica and Forte walked towards the group of soldiers. 

Foro turned towards the main gates of Selphia…but for the small moment before his face turned around, he met Frey’s eyes again and flashed a smile.

“Lady Frey,” Volkanon spoke in a hush, “Let’s go.” He ushered both Frey and Vishnal back into the castle, shutting the doors behind them with an air of finality accompanying it. 

In the moments illuminated by candlelight, Volkanon took a deep breath, looking between Frey and Vishnal several times.

“Lady Frey, we can handle the rest of the night from here, please rest,” Volkanon looked towards Vishnal, “Vishnal…please write for Arthur immediately. He should be somewhere in Sharance right now. We will need his opinion if this is a diplomatic matter.”

“Of course!” Vishnal spoke up, immediately scurrying towards the butler’s chambers.

Frey didn’t move for a while, looking up at Volkanon.

She didn’t know how to feel about this. She just knew she didn’t like this.

“Lady Frey…” Volkanon spoke again, “You deserve some rest. We can discuss this in the morning. Please be assured that I will not rest until we have this entire situation resolved.”

Frey couldn’t help but smile softly. Knowing Volkanon, he literally wouldn’t rest. And Frey had known Volkanon long enough to not question that part of him. Honestly…she was pretty sure that Volkanon only needed a minimum of one hour per week to properly function. He…was superhuman in most regards, after all.

“Alright…” Frey spoke, taking a few steps towards her room before stopping and turning around, “Wake me up if something else happens though, okay?”

“I can’t promise that.” Faint tears could be seen in Volkanon’s eyes. “I couldn’t bare to wake you up so rudely again.”

He hadn’t even been the one to directly wake her up.

Frey nodded, walking back to her room and plopping down on her bed.

A dance, huh?

What the hell were they going to do?


End file.
